Objective To study the expression levels ofinterlenkin-6 (IL-6), IL-6 receptor (IL-6R),its soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) and soluble glycoprotein 130 (sgp130) in brain tissues of refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and explore their role in TLE. Methods Forty patients with TLE and other 40 patients with trauma/hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage (controls), admitted to and performed surgery in our hospital from January 2010 to December 2010,were chosen in our study.Brain tissues from temporal lobe were collected during the surgery.By using real time-PCR and ELISA,the mRNA or protein expression levels of IL-6,IL-6R,sIL-6R and sgp130 were analyzed. Results The mRNA expressions of IL-6 and IL-6R in the TLE brain tissues were significantly higher as compared with those in controls (P＜0.05).ELISA indicated that sIL-6R level in the TLE brain tissues was significantly higher than those in controls (P＜0.05); however,sgp130 level in the TLE brain tissues was slightly higher than those in controls without significant difference (P＞0.05). Conclusion The high level of IL-6 may influence the function of varies types of cells within the epileptic foci of patients with TLE through classical signaling pathway or trans-signaling pathway, which is potentially involved in the epileptogenesis of TLE.